ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bass — low music
  5. toast — bread
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. clip — a video
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. clip — to cut
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bass — the fish
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. vault — a safe
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com